The present invention relates to information processing systems and authorization determining methods used therefor. More specifically, the invention relates to an information processing system using a plurality kinds of storage media and storage media authorization determining method.
One example of an information processing system using two kinds of storage media is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-303488 filed by the present applicant. The conventional art stores program data in a cartridge and stores other data in a CD-ROM which is read based upon a program in the cartridge.
The above-mentioned prior art has a problem that information processing can not be performed unless the cartridge is inserted.
Therefore, a feature of the illustrative embodiments is to provide an information processing system having high flexibility, which can perform data processing according to connection conditions of storage media at all times.
Also, another feature of the illustrative embodiments is to provide a true/false determining method capable of recognizing whether a storage medium to be operated is true or false.
The illustrative embodiments have the following characteristics to attain the above features.
A first feature of the exemplary embodiments is an information processing system comprising at least two different kinds of storage devices and an information processing unit having at least a first slot and a second slot for attaching each of the storage devices thereto individually, wherein
The storage devices includes at least:
a first store inserted in the first slot to store data including program data, image data and/or audio data in digital form; and
a second store, in which data is stored in a different way from the first store inserted in the second slot to store data including program data, image data and/or audio in digital form,
the information processing unit includes:
a detector for detecting whether the first store is attached to the first slot and whether the second store is attached to the second slot; and
a processor, and
the processor:
performs predetermined information processing based on the program data stored in the first store or the second store which is inserted in the first slot or the second slot respectively when the detector detects that the first store or the second store is inserted to the first slot or the second slot; and
starts information processing based on the program data stored in the first store when said detector detects that the first and the second store are inserted to the first and the second slots.
As described in the above, according to the first aspect, it is possible to start-up the information processing system freely from various storage media, when enables production of diverse software.
A second feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the first feature,
the first store includes a first responder generating a first response signal,
the second store includes a second responder generating a second response signal, and
the detector detects whether the first store is attached to the first slot and whether the second store is attached to the second slot, based on the first response signal from the first responder and the second response signal from the second responder.
As described in the above, according to the second feature, the information processing system detects the response signals, not simply detecting that something is attached to the slot, which makes it possible to more certainly confirm whether the store is attached.
A third feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the second feature,
the first response signal includes a first priority information indicating that the first response signal has relatively high priority,
the second response signal includes a second priority information indicating that the second response signal has relatively low priority, and
the detector detects that the first responder has higher priority over the second responder, based on the first and second priority information to activate the first store prior to the second store.
As described above, according to the third feature, since the priority order is not fixed but decided by the priority information and thereby the storage medium to be started can be freely changed, production of diverse software can be realized.
A fourth feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the first feature,
the first store includes a semiconductor storage device, access time of which is relatively fast,
the second storing means includes a disk-like storage medium and a disk drive, access time of which is relatively slow, and
the processor starts the processing based upon the data in the first store which operates at high speed when the detector detects that the first store and the second store are inserted in the first slot and the second slot, respectively.
As described in the above, according to the fourth feature, judging the connecting condition of the first store and the second store and giving priority to the first store having the high speed storage device enables the information processing system to realize uniformity, labor-saving and high-speed at the time of start-up.
A first feature of the illustrative embodiments is that, in the fourth feature,
a plurality of disk-like storage media are used by being exchanged alternatively in the second store,
each of the disk-like storage media has a usage order data storage area storing data which indicates a usage order, and
the processor judges whether the disk-like storage medium to be used next has a proper usage order, based on the order data stored in each of the disk-like storage media and performs the information processing based on the data stored in the disk-like storage medium only in the case that the disk-like storage medium has the proper usage order.
As described in the above, according to the fifth feature, since the usage order is set in each of the disk-like storage media, it is possible to prevent a disk from being operated with a wrong order and prevent the wrong data from being written in.
A sixth feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the fourth feature,
the semiconductor storage device has a first security data storage area storing first security data,
the disk-like storage medium has a second security-data storage area storing second security data,
the disk drive includes a third store storing third security data, and
the processor, when the detector detects that the first store and second store are inserted in the first and the second slot respectively, compares the first and third security data, and only when finding that the first and third security data have a predetermined relationship, processes the data stored in the disk-like storage medium.
As described in the above, according to the sixth feature, it is recognized during each of the operations whether the device to be operated is authentic or not, thereby making it possible to realize sufficient security.
A seventh feature of exemplary embodiments is that, in the first feature,
the processor starts the information processing on the basis of the data stored in the first store and performs the information processing on the basis of the data stored in the second store as required.
As described in the above, according to the seventh feature, the data stored in the first store and the second store can be freely processed alternately, which enables the production of diverse software.
An eight feature of the exemplary embodiments is an information processing system comprising a first storage medium, a second storage medium and an information processing unit operating on a basis of data stored in the first and/or the second storage medium, wherein
the first storage medium includes:
a program storage area storing a program for information processing;
a first ID data storage area storing first ID data for the first storage medium; and
a first arbitrary data storage area capable of storing arbitrary data,
the second storage medium includes:
a data storage area storing predetermined data for information processing;
a second ID data storage area storing second ID data for the second storage medium; and
a second arbitrary data storage area capable of storing arbitrary data, and the information processing unit:
writes the first ID data stored in the first storage medium into the second arbitrary data storage area of the second storage medium, and/or writes the second ID data stored in the second storage medium into the first arbitrary data storage area of the first storage medium before using the data stored in the second storage medium for a first time; and
when performing the information processing according to the program stored in the first storage medium and the predetermined data stored in the second storage medium and then using the data stored in the second storage medium again, detects whether the second ID data is stored in the first arbitrary data storage area of the first storage medium and/or whether the first ID data is stored in the second arbitrary data storage area of the second storage medium before using the data stored in the second storage medium, and only when detecting that the second ID data is stored in the first arbitrary data storage area of the first storage medium and/or that the first ID data is stored in the second arbitrary data storage area of the second storage medium, can process the data stored in the data storage area of the second storage medium.
As described in the above, according to the eighth feature, by using the common ID information areas, it is possible to realize uniformity of control in use and security.
A ninth feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the eighth feature,
the first and second storage media are disk-like storage media.
As described in the above, according to the ninth feature, even the disk, which has difficulty in achieving security, security can be effectively realized.
A tenth feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the eighth feature,
the first storage medium is a semiconductor memory and the second storage medium is a disk-like storage medium.
As described in the above, according to the tenth feature, effective security can be realized even by a combination of different storage media.
An eleventh feature of the exemplary embodiments is a memory authorization determining method used for an information processing system which comprises a first storage medium including a program storage area storing a program for information processing, a first ID data storage area storing first ID data and a first arbitrary data storage area capable of storing arbitrary data, a second storage medium including a data storage area storing predetermined data for information processing, second ID data storage area storing second ID data and a second arbitrary data storage area capable of storing arbitrary data, and an information processing unit operating based on data stored in the first storage medium and/or the second storage medium, wherein
the true/false determining method:
before using the data stored in the second storage medium for a first time, writes the first ID data stored in the first storage medium into the second arbitrary data storage area of the second storage medium and/or writes the second ID data stored in the second storage medium into the first arbitrary data storage area of the first storage medium; and
when performing information processing according to the program stored in the first storage medium and the predetermined data stored in the second storage medium and then using the data stored in the second storage medium again, detects whether the second ID data is stored in the first arbitrary data storage area of the first storage medium and/or whether the first ID data is stored in the second arbitrary data storage area of the second storage medium before using the data stored in the second storage medium, only when detecting that the second ID data is stored in the first arbitrary data storage area of the first storage medium and/or that the first ID data is stored in the second arbitrary data storage area of the second storage medium, can process the data stored in the data storage area of the second storage medium.
As described in the above, according to the eleventh feature, by using the common ID information areas, uniformity of control in use and security can be realized.
A twelfth feature of the exemplary embodiments is a game machine system comprising a slot for inserting a cartridge which includes a semiconductor memory storing data and a slot for inserting a disk-like storage medium which stores data and which:
automatically starts a game program stored in the cartridge when only the cartridge is inserted;
automatically starts the game program in the cartridge when both of the cartridge and the disk-like storage medium are inserted;
automatically starts a game program stored in the disk-like storage medium when only the disk-like storage medium is inserted; and
can process the data stored in both of the cartridge and the disk-like storage medium when starting the game program stored in the cartridge.
As described in the above, according to the twelfth feature, the connecting condition of the cartridge and the disk is determined and the cartridge is given priority, whereby making it possible to realize uniformity, labor-saving and high-speed at the time of start-up, and a variety of games.
A thirteenth feature of the exemplary embodiments is a game machine system capable of managing a plurality of disk-like storage media by providing a common ID information area in each of the disk-like storage media in order to automatically recognize attributes of the disk-like storage media, recording information, which is necessary for the recognition, in the ID information area to make the ID information areas common among the disk-like storage media and executing same processing to all of the disk-like storage media.
As described in the above, in the thirteenth feature, by using the common ID information areas, it is possible to realize uniformity of control in use and security.
A fourteenth feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the thirteenth feature, information for recognizing which number of disk-like storage medium the present disk-like storage medium is among the plurality of disk-like storage media composing a group is recorded in the ID information area.
As described in the above, according to the fourteenth feature, since the order is set in each of the disks, it is possible to prevent a disk from being operated in the wrong order and prevent the wrong data from being written therein.
A fifteenth feature of the exemplary embodiments is that, in the thirteenth feature,
the game machine system discriminates a disk-like storage medium belonging to a prescribed group from a disk-like storage medium belonging to another group by writing specific ID information in each of the plurality of disk-like storage media composing the prescribed group.
As described in the above, according to the fifteenth aspect, by using the common ID information areas, it is possible to realize uniformity of control in use and security.